How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Make Money Now
Possibly the only things Prince Harry and Meghan Markle love more than each other, their kids and activism is their lifestyle, and it's an expensive one.
The Sussexes famously fell in love with a Montecito, California, mansion that they worried they may not be able to afford.
"We didn’t have jobs, so we just were not going to come and see this house," Markle told The Cut in 2022. "It wasn’t possible. It’s like when I was younger and you’re window shopping—it’s like, I don’t want to go and look at all the things that I can’t afford. That doesn’t feel good."
Stars (and royals)—they're just like us, right?
In any case, the Sussexes got their $14.65 million dream home, and they eventually got jobs, too, with Markle calling their Archewell efforts, essentially, "a start up." Here's everything to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's business deals so far.
Related: Meghan Markle's Net Worth Since Leaving Royal Life Behind
How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Make Money Now
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still run their Archewell Foundation.
According to Vanity Fair, Prince Harry and Markle's Archewell charitable foundation raised $13 million and has so far donated a documented $3 million to causes that were close to the Sussexes. Some of these efforts included building a play center in Uvalde, Texas; distributing more than 12 million vaccines in a partnership with Global Citizen; donating meals through World Central Kitchen; supporting small women-and-minority-owned businesses and aiding Afghan and Ukrainian refugees.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Spotify deal is dunzo.
A reported 2020 deal with Spotify and the couple's Archewell Audio was worth up to $20 million to produce podcasts ... but quantitative deliverables became an issue for the pair.
With only 12 episodes and a holiday special for a single podcast, Markle's Archetypes, over the course of about three years, Spotify opted not to renew the deal due to a lack of productivity on the Sussexes' side, and they likely didn't get the full $20 million sum promised. (They also attracted the ire of Bill Simmons, who called them "grifters," but interestingly didn't seem to have vocal opinions—as of this writing—on Spotify's pittance payments to artists, lack of proper royalties for comedians, or the company's cutting of about 800 jobs.)
Related: 31 Biggest Bombshells From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah Interview
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still have a lucrative Netflix deal.
The Sussexes still have a contract with Netflix worth up to a reported $100 million, and that deal remains, bolstered largely by the massive success of their docuseries Harry and Meghan. While some of their projects for the streaming giant, like a planned self-insert animated series Pearl and other alleged proposals that were derivative of other already existing projects like Heartstopper, didn't take off, they have others in the pipeline. An Invictus documentary, as well as as reported project following Prince Harry in Africa, are in the works. That said, the couple's pending series, like many others, may be impacted by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Related: Everything to Know About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix Deal
Meghan Markle invested in Clevr Blends.
Markle became one of the very first investors in Clevr Blends, a brand of holistic lattes, and made the brand famous when Oprah Winfrey showed off a gift basket featuring some of the hot drink mixes from "her neighbor M."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle invested in Ethic.
In October 2021, Prince Harry and Markle established an "impact partnership" with Ethic, an investment firm focused on sustainability that lets investors choose a portfolio based on their personal values.
"[Prince Harry and Markle are] deeply committed to helping address the defining issues of our time—such as climate, gender equity, health, racial justice, human rights, and strengthening democracy—and understand that these issues are inherently interconnected," Ethic said in a statement. "So much so, in fact, that they became investors in Ethic earlier this year and have investments managed by Ethic as well."
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Prince Harry is the 'chief impact officer' for BetterUp.
Prince Harry has long advocated for the importance of mental healthcare, making his role of chief impact officer at BetterUp, a mental health and coaching company, a likely great fit.
"As BetterUp's first Chief Impact Officer, my goal is to lift up critical dialogues around mental health, build supportive and compassionate communities, and foster an environment for honest and vulnerable conversations," Prince Harry said in a statement on BetterUp's website. "And my hope is to help people develop their inner strength, resilience, and confidence."
Related: Everything Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Said About Racism in the Royal Family
They're both published authors.
While Markle's debut picture book The Bench was a bestseller, Prince Harry did absolute gangbusters with his memoir, Spare. The book broke sales records, even if it didn't paint the Sussexes—and especially not Prince William, Kate Middleton, King Charles or Queen Camilla—in the best light.
Related: The Biggest Bombshells From Prince Harry's Memoir Spare
Meghan Markle signed with WME.
Markle signed with mega high-powered Hollywood agency WME in April 2023. While some speculated that the former Suits star would return to acting, Variety reported that her focus would be on TV and movie production, brand partnerships and brand-building.